The 11 for '11

NORCO RANGE SE

8 / 11

PRICE: $6,925 WEIGHT: 26.7 lb. (M) INFO:norco.com
Norco's new 160mm-travel, all-mountain Range SE really does have range, thanks at least in part to the company's Advanced Ride Technology (ART) suspension platform. It's still an FSR-licensed, modified Horst-link bike, but the pivot placement has been optimized to allow the rear wheel to travel 20 percent more rearward than the company's previous suspension design. This delivers greater anti-squat when climbing and more linear suspension travel to absorb square-edge bumps when descending. » Our first taste of the Range was on its home turf, Vancouver's North Shore. The bike delivered a dynamic, bob-free ride on long climbs and devoured rocky and steep downhills—including some surprise five-foot drops off the top of the Pipeline Trail that would normally call for a few more inches of travel. Not bad for a sub-27-pound bike.

Why: It has six inches of plush travel, but is still efficient enough for climbing